Health and Economic Benefits of Increased [beta]-Blocker Use Following Myocardial Infarction

Article Abstract:

Beta blockers would be a very cost-effective treatment for heart attack patients as long as they had no contraindication. If all heart attack patients were treated with beta blockers over a 20-year period, it would save $18 million in medical costs, and prevent 62,000 future heart attacks and 72,000 fewer deaths from cardiovascular disease.

Reports, Drug therapy, Heart attack, Cost benefit analysis, Adrenergic beta blockers, Adrenergic beta-antagonists

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Cost-effectiveness of Vitamin Therapy to Lower Plasma Homocysteine Levels for the Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease: Effect of Grain Fortification and Beyond

Article Abstract:

Vitamin supplements and grain products fortified with folic acid could reduce the rate of heart disease in men 45 and older and women 55 and older. Folic acid and other B vitamins can lower blood levels of homocysteine, which is a risk factor for heart disease if present in greater than normal amounts.

Health aspects, Folic acid, Enriched foods

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Cost-effectiveness of HMG-CoA reductase inhibition for primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease

Article Abstract:

Lovastatin is a drug that reduces blood cholesterol levels and is used to prevent coronary heart disease. Lovastatin works by preventing an enzyme called HMG CoA reductase from making cholesterol. Many studies have documented the health risks associated with high blood cholesterol levels. The general public is becoming more aware that high cholesterol levels are associated with increased risks for coronary heart disease, and that the risk of disease can be reduced by lowering cholesterol levels. Many physicians treat patients with high cholesterol by using modified diets and/or drugs. The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends using drugs only after diet therapy has failed and levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol exceed 160 mg/dL in high risk patients and is over 190 mg/dL in patients with few health risks. The affordability of a national medication program for reducing cholesterol levels has been questioned. A computer program called the Coronary Heart Disease Policy Model was developed and used to predict the cost of a medication program and to determine if the program would cost-effective. When used to prevent the recurrence of disease in patients with coronary heart disease (secondary prevention), this computer model predicted that lovastatin (20 mg/day) would cut costs and save lives in young men with cholesterol levels over 250 mg/dL. Lovastatin was predicted to be cost-effective for treating patients with coronary heart disease, regardless of the cholesterol level, except for young women with levels below 250 mg/dL. However, lovastatin was not as cost-effective when used to prevent coronary heart disease in individuals without coronary heart disease (primary prevention) as it was for preventing recurrent disease. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Care and treatment, Evaluation, Risk factors, Hypercholesterolemia, Lovastatin

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